Put your rods away......

[Silverfox]

** Dispute takes mackerel off menu **

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has downgraded mackerel from its list of fish suitable to eat.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21119899

[steco1958]

Fantastic comment on this story

Comment
36.

Stimpy
Just now I blame the snow - the mackerel are sick of hearing constant hyped up reports of how winter has once again arrived in the UK so they;ve decided to leave.

The salmon are likely to do the same come autumn when we're sure to here never ending reports on how all the leaves are falling off the trees....

[spartacus]

Originally Posted by Silverfox

** Dispute takes mackerel off menu **

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has downgraded mackerel from its list of fish suitable to eat.

Heard the debate on Radio 4 this morning with Evan Davis, with representatives from the Pelagic Fisherman's Association and the Marine Conservation Society.

They said it's okay to catch them on handlines.

Just don't get me started on discard!

[biffer]

Originally Posted by steco1958

Fantastic comment on this story

Comment
36.

Stimpy
Just now I blame the snow - the mackerel are sick of hearing constant hyped up reports of how winter has once again arrived in the UK so they;ve decided to leave.

The salmon are likely to do the same come autumn when we're sure to here never ending reports on how all the leaves are falling off the trees....

Don't forget the eels. They're fed up and not coming back from the Sargasso Sea

[kerny]

Sounds a bit fishy to me

[biffer]

Originally Posted by kerny

Sounds a bit fishy to me

On a grand scales of things. That's a slippery statement

[wavelength]

basically the seas are being fished into a desert. Twenty years ago the coast by my house would have been full of little dinghies rod n line angling for cod whenever it was calm enough. Sub zero temps, snow, whatever we were out there fishing for big cod, and boy did we catch some big uns, the struggle was getting through the hordes of whiting to the cod. Today its flat calm and there is no one out there ...because the place is dead! The good old EU saw to that. The dock was full of spanish trawlers for a couple of years, but they've b******d off now that the place is wrecked. Mackerel, thornback rays, plaice n soles a similar story in summer, a few stragglers but nothing like they were.
Rant over

[two stroke mick]

Same story with mackerl a few years ago. Go out for an evening and you would get you tea but not now

[tonto]

Launched out of Teignmouth in Sept Oct Nov and early Dec, and always had plenty of Mackerel.

Would normally go out over the wrecks, which were sometimes hit and miss for the bass and pollack, (although always loads of pouting, yeuchhh)
and then spend the last 1/2 hour close (ish) to shore, and we were always able to pick up plenty, sometimes full house on the feathers was common.

Only by about mid Dec had they all buggered off.

Mind you the biggest problem I found was trying to locate the wrecks in the 1st place.

Tried looking on the internet, and the dive sites didnt always give the best Lat Long, and fishing websites dont give out any details either, not unrealistically! we spent ages motoring around looking with the sounder!

Then came across an app for the Iphone, called Wreckfinder, It is brillant, best 3.99 i ever paid.
It gives the lat long for 10,000 wrecks around the UK, and also gives depth, size of vessel, cargo and when sunk, and history of the vessel, where known. The lat Long is smack on, motor over to the co ordinates, and you are bang on the wreck.

As soon as I got that sorted, started catching bass, lovely size fish, just fantastic for a meal for a hungry couple of fish lovers! Also some good pollack as well.

Anyway we had a great few months before the weather got a bit too choppy.
Roll on April when I will be home next!

Tonto

[JamesF]

Oddly enough, last summer was the first time I've seen mackerel leaping near the beach for quite a while. Only once, though. Apparently it used to be a regular event... before my time.

[biffer]

They jump to get away from something below the surface that wants to eat them, flying fish have evolved it to a whole new level

[tonto]

Originally Posted by biffer

They jump to get away from something below the surface that wants to eat them, flying fish have evolved it to a whole new level

The poor flying fish get it from all angles!

They have very large pectoral fins, which they use to glide after jumping out of the water to escape danger, and on a calm sea i have seen them glide in excess of 250 metres.

However in some places, South China sea for example, the gannets have learnt that the flying fish jump and fly out of the way of ships, so the gannets hover over the bow of the ship, using the updraught caused by the ship, and as soon as they see a flying fish gliding they swoop down and try to catch it in flight, which they sometimes manage, so they get attaked from above and below!

I have also seen dolphins scaring flying fish toward the ship if we are anchored, the flying fish flies, and smacks into the side of the ship, usually stuns itself, and then along comes Mr dolphin to pick up his easy meal!

it's a wonder there are any left!

Tonto

[paddlers]

Are my children going to be arrested by the EU ??

[jyasaki]

Was on a night dive in the Channel Islands (California; not your UK Channels), and had to wait for a third diver to get ready. My buddy Steve and I were lounging in the water listening to the sea lions chasing the flying fish, when one went by my head and smacked Steve in the mouth. I probably should have gone to help him, but I was laughing too hard. He was bleeding from upper and lower lips, with a stunned fish next to him until the sea lion took it.

The next night I hit him in the chest with a lobster from about 30 feet. He didn't have much luck with wildlife on that trip.

jky